What To Expect At Your First WWE Live Event

WWE is coming back to Yakima on Sunday, August 10th at the Yakima Valley Sundome. If you've never been to a live WWE event, here are a few things you should know.

The Ring is Small
In actuality, it's standard size. WWE rings are 20 feet by 20 feet. On TV, thanks to camera angles, they look like the same size they always do. It's when you see a real WWE ring unframed that you wonder where the rest of it is. You get used to it quickly, but, at first, it looks small.

You Can't Hear the Commentators
When you watch WWE on TV, the show is narrated by the commentators talking about what's happening in the ring and what's coming up. No, you can't hear them over the loud speaker. All you can hear is the crowd and the wrestlers being slammed on the mat with the occasional wrestler yelling at you. When that happens, you're encouraged to yell at them back. They love that.

You Can, Literally, See Punches and Kicks that Don't Connect
Again, it's entertainment. It's performance art. Although getting slammed and suplexed doesn't tickle, they, often, will pull their punches. To me, that's half the fun. There are times, though, where you can swear you see a tooth flying.

You Won't Get the Full Stage Screen and Pyros
When the wrestlers come out on the stage and fireworks go off with the giant screen behind them, that's reserved for the TV shows. They have a secondary set-up with a smaller screen. You'll still enjoy yourself, but there may not be as many fireworks.

You Can't Go Backstage to Meet the Wrestlers
So don't ask. You can, however, go to the back of the parking lot after the show. You'll see a crowd of fans also waiting to see their favorite wrestlers carpool back to the hotel. Very rarely, if they have time, they might come up to sign an autograph, but I wouldn't count on it. After getting beat up, all they want to do is get back, take a shower and rest.

On that note, it's not uncommon to see the wrestlers hanging around Yakima the day, or night, of the event. I ran into Sheamus at Red Robin about an hour after a WWE event a couple of years ago. I also hear people run into them at some local bars downtown or even the movie theater. If you're that gung-ho on meeting a wrestler, you might have a good chance just by being in the right place at the right time.

Most of all, just enjoy yourself. I actually prefer these non-televised shows more because they're usually full of main event-style matches getting them ready for the TV show or the next PPV. They also seem like they have more fun. You'll love it.

WWE will be in Yakima on August 10th. Tickets go on sale next week, but keep listening to win yours.